# data[].attributes.body
My spirits lift and drifts

With the morning cloud.

I’m swept, caressed and held,

By the swirling sea and the sky

And I hear a faint reminder,

That all possible worlds are open

When we set our spirit free.

# data[].attributes.body
At the end of the journey

We come to see

How every stone

Makes a mythical isle

Every moment

A person

Every person

A community.

# data[].attributes.body
Somewhere along the way

Something changed.

It may have been in the mist

That blew in off the sea,

Or the soft rain that fell on tall grasses,

Perhaps, at the climbing of a stile,

Or the turning of a tide

But slowly, imperceptibly,

A change occurred

And a different person returned

Unburdened

Patient

Grateful.

# data[].attributes.body
The path rises,

Land slips away,

With each step the sea-salt taste grows stronger

And we’re drawn,

Ever closer,

To an endless blue

Conclusion.

We have to keep on walking

’Til we reach the end of days.

Yet, perhaps there will be something

That remembers we were there

A sound, a scent, a memory

That lingers in the air?

# data[].attributes.body
Time to sit

listen

and breathe

with the Sunday bells

That ripple, in and out

Over gentle, verdant fields

And echo in the purple trumpets

Of foxgloves in a hedge.

# data[].attributes.body
A long wooden pathway

Tunnels through the undergrowth

Offering safe passage

To sunlit meadows.

# data[].attributes.body
In a garden in a paradise

A traveller reflects

And lets his pen fall

Words have no power

In this butterfly land

That asks for nothing

But simply accepts

A silent gratitude

And a pledge

To keep on walking

# data[].attributes.body
Clear water

Washes over a patchwork of stones

Not moving,  flowing

Refreshing and revitalising

Everything it touches.

# data[].attributes.body
It’s already warm when I set out,

The sky its clearest blue.

Long straight roads

Skirt the estuary,

Quicken my pace

And dampen my desire

To stretch out the day

# data[].attributes.location_name
Godrevy Towans, Gwithian, Hayle TR27 5ED, UK

# data[].attributes.body
Godrevy point

Is busy with tourists

Watching seals far below

And enjoying the warm morning sun.

I come to rest on a grassy bank

Where first a young woman finds her own private place

Then her family join her

To sit and chat and stare out to sea

They spot a dolphin - or was it a whale?

Before long the hill is spotted with groups

Looking out to the lighthouse and beyond

A passing fisherman removes his heavy sweater

As he brings his boat into the bay.

Simply to sit is to grant permission

Each step an invitation

Let’s encourage each other.

# data[].attributes.body
The day continues to open up

Each step a gift

Each bend a new

Twist in the tale.

# data[].attributes.body
What I want from this walk

Is to leave my urgency behind

To have walked out all of the ‘me’.

Then,  I’d like to find the source,

The place from where it all flows

And follow it down to the sea.

# data[].attributes.location_name
Wheal Coates, Beacon Dr, Saint Agnes TR5 0NT, UK

# data[].attributes.body
I leave the village

As the school bus arrives

Children meekly accept their fate.

They miss the sweet smell of honeysuckle on the morning breeze,

The mounds of purple heather,

And the sweet-sour taste of sea surf.

I’ve reached the latter stages of my journey

Walking a knife edge of hubris and regret

Too far and not far enough

Wait

Don’t force it

Watch.

# data[].attributes.body
Solitary walking

On well worn paths

Only the elements for company

Land, sea and sky

And a steep drop to the rocks below.

# data[].attributes.body
On grassy dunes

with criss-crossed paths

Where direction is difficult

and ancient spaces hidden

I skip over an adder

and feel a flash of time

# data[].attributes.body
Duck down in the valley

I bend under branches,

Step softly

through boggy ground

And clunk my boots

Over seven bridges

That cross the creek.

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Life affirming and destroyer of rock

A place of play and a prison cell

Locked safely away or trapped within?

# data[].attributes.body
I walk alone through open fields

And hope to find my place

I know what I can offer

I can share with you this space

I can be the one who walks beside you

Helps you notice what you’ve done

Helps you find your own way forward

And see just how far you’ve come.

# data[].attributes.body
Up early

And onto the hills

Beyond all walls

This is where I feel at peace.

It’s what I have to offer

I’ll find a way to bottle it

Bring it home

Smuggled

In my soul.

# data[].attributes.body
I drop down on a winding path

And pass families at play

Past squeals and shouts and gaiety

And marking out of moments

In the soft, forgetful sand.

When I scramble up the other bank,

And carry on my way

Their voices fade and start to merge

Will all those joyful moments

Just be washed out on the tide?

# data[].attributes.body
At the edge of the world

Where the elements meet,

Mix, mingle and transform

I can see the path behind me

In giant jigsaw form.

# data[].attributes.body
Breakfast on the beach

Then along the cliffs in the morning light

The blessings of simple pleasures

Birds and the bumblebees guide the path

Stonechats show the way.

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Encouraged by the heavy rain

Fresh growth has crowded the path

I’ll need to push through

Development is a continuum,

Always on the move

On a journey, between

Departure and arrival

Knowledge and uncertainty,

Confidence and crisis,

Rarely still,

Rarely settled,

Always moving,

Along the path.

# data[].attributes.body
A heron rises from a pond

Stately

Timeless

Unhurried

# data[].attributes.body
A short walk today.

I arrive early and drop

Down into a secret place of calm

A timeless place, beyond the world of worries.

Nestled in this valley’s palm

There’s time to sit, watch, relax

And let the learning sink in.

# data[].attributes.body
When the heavy door opens

The cold stone air

disturbs the dust of piety

And somewhere in the shifting light

There’s the merest murmur

Of ancient prayers.

# data[].attributes.body
Long straight roads give time to reflect

On the twists and turns of the journey.

Then a solitary tower,

A lasting landmark,

Rises above the empty plains

Offering guidance and assurance

Of a warm welcome, food and rest.

# data[].attributes.body
A thin and quiet stream

Feeds a whole hillside

It flits through dancing grasses and waving reeds,

Brings joy to children playing,

Then slips silently into the sea.

# data[].attributes.body
The road is hot, hard and unforgiving

But a bus stop brings rest, recharge and a route back to the shore.

I stand and gaze at the cliff’s edge

Across the border to another world.

# data[].attributes.body
The pull of the tide

Is elemental

It moves us

Sweeps doubt away

And calls us back

home.

# data[].attributes.body
Rain turns to sun

Sky and land open out

I follow a group of walkers

Until our paths separate

# data[].attributes.body
It occurs to me here

That all anyone wants of me,

Is that I be myself

And that is the only duty I owe.

I want others to have the same freedom

So I climb the stile,

Leave my posture behind

And step into a new land.

# data[].attributes.body
An early start through a wet and wooded valley.

The air is heavy with morning rain.

Overhead the branches dip towards the path.

The shallow valley’s secrets are hidden behind a veil of grey-green morning light.

# data[].attributes.body
Two rabbits scurry into the hedgerows

Soft rain picks up momentum

Thoughts return to quality and creativity

Quality is subjective, indefinable, incomparable

Mysterious and unknown.

# data[].attributes.body
Up on the hill, majesty is revealed.

The air full with grateful birdsong

Concerns release in the morning breeze

As the river drifts down to the sea.

# data[].attributes.body
The path twists and turns over a watery land,

bursting with fresh growth and the weight of history.

The route eased by a long raised wooden platform that stretches across the creek.

# data[].attributes.body
If I were to pass this way again

I would seek out this place

And hope to connect

To a summer’s day

When I sought to walk

To a different place.

I would hope to remember

How, while I was here,

I was closer

To there.

So I’d sit here quietly

And maybe,

Just maybe

Sense there again.

# data[].attributes.body
Fresh air and gentle rain

Feed parts

That have long lain dormant.

# data[].attributes.body
Up here I feel exposed and

Can feel a change in the air

I want to stay and indulge it but

The coming clouds remind me that

Awareness is a starting point and

Those who linger may be lost I

Step on.

# data[].attributes.body
When the walls of the world

Have fallen

And I walk in the open air

My doubts drift off

With the summer breeze

And dispose of every care.

I start to feel myself fading,

To confuse the curious cattle,

That follow me up the hill.

I even surprise the swallows,

As they sweep their way past me, until

All that is left

Is the sound of my steps

And the secret smile of my soul.

# data[].attributes.body
A long climb is rewarded

With a fresh and open sky

Up here my load gets lighter

And I can almost touch the clouds

That stretch out my horizons

And drift with me

Stride by stride.

# data[].attributes.body
The morning air is heavy and damp.

Sharp showers drip through the leaves

and onto the ferns below.

This is me

In my element.

# data[].attributes.body
Flocks of white fluffy clouds twist and turn

My mood lightens with the sky

And hopes stretch towards the horizon.

# data[].attributes.body
Clouds drift over gently rolling hills,

Ripening crops rise to the sun,

The distant destination emerges,

Savour the moment

And walk slowly on.

# data[].attributes.headline
How do we know we are on the right track?

# data[].attributes.subject
How do we know we are on the right track?

# data[].attributes.body
The path climbs towards a clearing sky

The natural world makes way

It’s a well-worn path

That rises to meet each step.

# data[].attributes.body
Crossing the foot of England

From coast to Cornish Coast

I could feel myself being drawn

Up to the crest of a rocky wave.

Right at the top,

There’s a tipping

Point

Where time

slows

and holds her breath.

I stopped there

and balanced and

Saw in frozen photo time,

How the sea sucks all life towards it

And the land leans into the shore.

I felt the ground beneath me

Roll like the deck of a ship

And sensed the water within me

Pulled by the call of the tide

And the moon.

# data[].attributes.body
The fresh morning light

Sharpens afresh the once-new monuments

That guided pilgrims through an ancient land.

These now-aged reminders of an endless struggle

Sink into the hedgerows

And whisper a language

Whose meaning is lost.

# data[].attributes.body
The tor bursts through the bushes.
Calling with
a raw, elemental attraction
that is hard to ignore.

# data[].attributes.body
The tor casts it shadow
through a flimsy screen
of young trees, bracken and ferns.

# data[].attributes.body
When the stones all pull together

We find our path laid out.

My last steps are shared

With folks from foreign lands

Many tongues

Yet one language

One journey

One life.

# data[].attributes.body
My arrival goes unnoticed,

In this busy tourist town.

I let the tides of man wash over me,

One more pebble on the beach,

Waiting for the morning calm.

# data[].attributes.body
The last steps

Of a journey

The first step

Into a future

The last chance to leave

what's not needed

And summon resolve

To step forward

With purpose.

# data[].attributes.body
Entry is gained to Elysian fields

Where a white stork

Rises celebrant

And spreads wide wings over

A Sunday congregation

Grass and reed

Flower and reed

Join in exaltation.

# data[].attributes.body
The pilgrims way is in its Sunday best

Be-ribboned with walkers well-wishes

And coated in crystal-clear freshness.

My heart is lifted, my burden shared

As in every step I savour the hope

Of walkers past, present and future.

# data[].attributes.body
A field of flowers

Heads bobbing in the breeze

A purple choir singing

A summer symphony.

# data[].attributes.body
With the end in sight

I skirt along the hedges

Savouring every step

Letting lessons learnt

Sink in.

# data[].attributes.body
Swallows take turns to scythe across a meadow

Sweeping their songs

Over rippling grass

That sways in summer harmony.

# data[].attributes.body
I skirt the hill,

Where the destination will emerge

The world stills

The journey slows

Breath is held

Anticipation savoured.

# data[].attributes.body
This final day

A  gift of chance

Unearned and unexpected

Every step enhanced

By beauty’s dance

From coast to coast

I walk entranced.

# data[].attributes.body
My walk picks up momentum

I cross the railway and feel

Pushed along a sandy path

With only low bushes and brambles

To protect me from the hot summer sun

I’ll soon be back amongst the people

And will need to find my way again.

# data[].attributes.body
The last stage of this walk is

A paddle

All along a wide sandy beach

Long

Gentle waves

Soothe my tired feet

Light glistens on the waters

And all is well with the world.

# data[].attributes.body
It’s a glorious morning and I find myself striding forward.

I know days like this deserve to be savoured and

I want to slow down and take it all in but

Although I’m surprised, when I look back, to see just how far I’ve come

I’m content to allow the walk its own momentum

And trust that when I return

I’ll have an experience I can draw on

In tougher times.

# data[].attributes.body
I was looking for a breakfast spot

When I heard a bird singing

And saw it land on a bench.

Accepting the invitation,

I sit and watch the har draw in.

As the bird darts into a hedge,

Jackdaws mass on a fence

and a gull glides slowly

Over a calm, unruffled sea

That's patterned in a labyrinth of light

The colours slowly shift and soften,

Mist blankets the land
And I, too, am subdued

My sharp edges are lost to the wind.

Becalmed,

I walk on.

# data[].attributes.body
If I could choose

A moment to return to

It’d be

Here,

On the crest of the hill,

As the ground drops sharply away,

I can reach out and trace the climb ahead,

Follow the morning promise etched into the hills

And marvel at all the long Cornish coast

Spread beneath my feet.

# data[].attributes.body
Early morning

yet already sun is busy

With glorious greens, bold blues and sharp shadows

It conjures a beauty that can’t just be for me.

I’d like to bring you here, so you can see

How the Jackdaws play in the thermals

While the ponies graze the cliff edge.

I’d like you to hear the sea kiss the rocks

And feel your heart full to burst.

# data[].attributes.body
Time to stretch out,

Watch the water slowly fill the harbour

And feel fed by the rising tide

# data[].attributes.body
Being in development is all about the journey,

The constant struggle,

To seek out inspiration and meaning,

Discover how to be useful, keep active

And find a way to keep going.

# data[].attributes.body
As I sit to gather my moments

and stare at the vast open sea

I hope

That the breeze will blow

all the tension away

and the sea creep into my bones.

# data[].attributes.body
For nine days I’ve been blessed

The world has wished me well

Pitfalls have been avoided

And storm clouds rolled on by.

I can’t tell what will happen next

But I can trust the process

As nature knows the way.

# data[].attributes.body
On the path out of the village

I slip between the sheep

I try not to disturb them

As I search for common ground.

# data[].attributes.body
I am glad to return to the sea

Where anything is possible.

All I am is a host of moments

That drift in with the wind

That come unannounced

And leave without a word

# data[].attributes.body
A long walk has its own narrative

The path takes precedence

Driving me onward,

Shaping my experience.

# data[].attributes.body
A cluster of houses

Huddle around a bay

Each with their own view.

# data[].attributes.body
White clouds and blue skies are

reflected in a turquoise sea

long, smooth waves glide surfers inland

and spread gently out onto soft sand.

# data[].attributes.body
The path crosses a main road.

Where the busy world won’t be denied

Yet soon it leads back to the open

And follows the gentle rise of the land

To suggest a more natural way.

# data[].attributes.body
A hawk skirts the contours of the land

A dark shadow

Slips into a grey world

Never to be seen again.

# data[].attributes.body
Walk into the interior,

Closer to the heart,

Find a quiet

Inside

For reverence

And respect.

# data[].attributes.body
Heavy, moss-laden, stone stiles
and rickety wooden plank-ways
straddle low streams.
Gifts
from those who’ve passed this way before.

# data[].attributes.body
I shelter from the rain

On the pilgrims path.

They walked all day

and carried all they owned.

Their lives, beyond my reach

Though I am also glad

For a moments peace.

# data[].attributes.body
Once the height of industry,
now solid grey granite columns
slip silently into the woods.

# data[].attributes.body
Escaping the harsh roads

To find the way into the woods

To nurse sore feet where wild birds sing

Likewise children whoop with joy,

then bound on ahead.

# data[].attributes.body
Tall green plants stretch toward the light,

Shrouding the future

And drawing me back

To my sap-strong days

When I too could reach

Beyond the touch of time.

# data[].attributes.body
Heading into the interior,

Walking deeper into practice.

Always approaching,

Reaching towards what can’t be defined

Practice brings confidence

That research reveals

The currently cloaked.

# data[].attributes.body
Intermittent bursts of warm sunshine and sharp showers.

There is no certainty in development.

But we can trust the process.

# data[].attributes.body
Rain softens all edges,
Definition is blurred
We merge with the landscape.

# data[].attributes.body
From bluster to rain.
On sodden fields
Through overgrown paths,
An immersive experience.

# data[].attributes.body
Turn the pages of the past,

Where stories ebb and flow.

Then step away from crowds and coast

and head into the woods.

# data[].attributes.body
A short crossing,
yet enough,
To sense a power
that has shaped so many lives

# data[].attributes.body
Following a well trodden path
Far above rocky outcrops.
A long-distance walker stops to chat.
Then disappears into the land

# data[].attributes.body
Light and time stretch

Beyond understanding

Connection is beyond language

Past all words

# data[].attributes.body
A steep climb

With a heavy pack

Slowed,

To a satisfying pace

Each step

Is sufficient

And followed

By another.

# data[].attributes.body
Following fresh streams around folded hills.

Green canopies play with the morning light.

Nourished by overnight rain.

# data[].attributes.body
The way ahead maybe obscured

In clouds of doubt

But later the pathway opens up

And the sun shines on the sea.

# data[].attributes.body
It’s not just feet that walk

In development all our senses

Are exposed

Head and heart work hard too

# data[].attributes.body
Moving between roads and paths
Birds nest in a letter box
Environments shifts and change.

# data[].attributes.body
At the start of the walk

The senses awake,

Awareness is alerted

And emotions

Stirred,

Inspired

and disconcerted,

Exposed

and reassured

By the sight of a butterfly

Spreading its wings,

A gentle reminder

That authenticity is delicate,

A silent call

To take nothing for granted

And ease

The way forward.